Of The Chamber and Kidnappings
by Tartan
Summary: An entity of pisonic energy known as "Chamber" comes to join the x-men. (Canon, Not OC!) But when mutants begin dissapearing the questions of who is responsible and who can you trust are raised. Romy, Kurmanda, Jono:Wanda? Please R&R! You won't regret it!
1. Default Chapter

Writer's note: Jonathan Starsmore a.k.a. Chamber is a canon character of the x-men comic series "Generation X". To see a neat picture of Chamber using his powers go into my profile and click on my homepage URL.  
  
In addition, if anyone is a linguist and has any tips for writing a London accent they will be much appreciated!  
  
*= telepathy  
  
Chapter one: Arrival  
  
"Flight 712, London to Boston is now debarking at Gate 9."  
  
The words of the recording reverberated through the young man's head as he walked out of the gate onto American soil for the first time in his life. And slightly too his chagrin, things he found did not look too much different. His legs were still slightly cramped from the non-stop one-way flight, making for a slightly unbalanced gait as he merged into the crowd.  
  
*Too many bloody damn people* he commented to himself as he angled his way towards the hallway where he had been told he would be met at. Perhaps a sigh would have accompanied his comment if this had been before his mutation. Before Jonathan Starsmore (known to most as Jono) had erupted in a great blast of pisonic energy that had destroyed all in its raging warpath including Jono himself. He had technically died that day; his heat, lungs, and trachea had been consumed and cindered out of existence. Only leaving a hollow chamber where the energy that now replaced his heart and lungs as his life giving force now rested, always waiting to flare up once again when necessary. It was only a tiny act of mercy from the God that had surely made this his fate to give him the gift of telepathy so that he could still speak.  
  
His face, neck, and chest (even though covered by a pure black t-shirt) were wrapped in dirtied bandages to hide his gaping scar that would never heal. The theories obviously passing through the minds of those he pasted as to his strange outfit were many. He was a movie star trying to go about incognito, he was a burn victim that was still healing, he was a Goth with a fashion statement. His black drapery and leather jacket supported the last hypothesis quite well. Or perhaps, as the precocious British child back at the London airport had quipped..  
  
"'E's the prince tryin' to 'ide 'is teeth!" Even though he would have never admitted it, that was Jono's favorite guess.  
  
Then there was the idea from the suspicious and even bigoted minds that he was a mutant hiding his mark of genetic difference. However, with the intense look in his brooding brown eyes, and his demeanor that seemed to forewarn of disastrous consequences if he was rubbed the wrong way. It was enough to keep even the bold from saying anything to him. Therefore, as the seventeen year old made his way through the crowd, he managed to have enough leeway not to be jostled and was only given curious looks and comments were withed until he had passed.  
  
His eyes finally fell upon what he was looking for as a gruff looking black haired man half-heartedly held up a sign that read "Xavier Institute"  
  
Jono paused, knowing it could be for no other. This was it, this was truly it. After all those agonizing months of uncertainty of what his fate would truly be, here he was just seconds away from it. He was going to go to the now infamous mutant school that was now known worldwide. He and Gayle had even spoken included it in their conversation before his chest had violently burst open, the explosion catching her at point blank range. Crippling that beautiful angel forever. He felt guilt rise up in him yet again, and he accepted it because it only reinforced what he truly saw himself as now. Jonathan Starsmore, the monster. The freak of nature who was suppose to be dead, who was being cooked from the inside out, who could it seemed at any moment maim again. That was part of the reason he had even bothered to board the plane and just try to forget about his old life. He had been told he could be helped, that he could learn to "control" what had both killed him yet somehow was saving him. Jono doubted just how far this help could go. After all, wouldn't he always need the energy to live? Moreover, as long as he had it, wouldn't he still be able to harm again?  
  
That made for the second reason he was here, across the ocean, or as he would have phrased it "across the pond" from his native London. There was just nowhere else for a person with half a face and a fireplace for a chest to go. He had spent the last four months gawked at and prodded by doctors who just couldn't get enough of his abnormality. And like all beings with dignity, Jono had gotten tired of it. Despite his self-loathing, he had taken the chance of something better.  
  
"You Starsmore?" The man most called Wolverine' deep voice interrupted Jono's maelstrom of thoughts.  
  
*Yes, I am..* he answered pushing some of his stray reddish-brown hair out of his face. As usual he hadn't bothered to brush it much (orientation or not) and with the flight it was now laying in all direction from his head.  
  
"I'm Logan; I'll be one of your instructors at the institute." Told him as he rose to both look the boy over and hold out his hand for the customary handshake. Jono took his hand finding himself to actually be about an inch or so taller than the impressive Canadian.  
  
*Me full name is Jonathan, but I prefer Jono,* the Brit informed him, since it would seem that Logan had introduced himself in a causal manner as well. However, something told Jono Logan was not exactly a liberal teacher. In fact, he wondered what the man's power was since he lacked a physical one like Jono had been expecting. Logan nodded and turned to lead the newest recruit to both get his luggage and then to the X-van.  
  
"So I heard you're from London, that's going to be quite a change." Logan said after a few minutes since Starsmore didn't seem too keen on making conversation. Very much unlike most new recruits who by now be going a mile a minute with questions. Whether Logan liked it or not, he wasn't sure. It was nice not to have someone chattering your ear off, but he felt it was part of his duty as a teacher to at least get to know every student a little bit.  
  
*I suppose, not t'at I'll be getting' out too much.* Jono responded a bit darkly even though he was preoccupied with looking into the various shops that lined the left side of the wide hallway.  
  
"Well...Don't worry, life's never really gets that boring at the mansion. The kids are always up to something." Logan responded not letting Jono take the chance of forcing Logan to dwell on the fact that he had a severe mutation. Much to Logan's chagrin, after living with mutant teenagers for so long he knew the tone. He thought of the recent prank pulled on him by what Xavier called the "wave of the future", someone had had the nerve to break into his personal stash of beer and replace it with Kool-aid. And despite all of his threats, he still didn't know who had done it. It made him wonder at times, why he bothered to stick around.  
  
While Jono did nod he didn't answer, lost in his own thoughts and broodings again. He and Logan did manage someone small talk however when Logan causally noticed a guitar case as a part of Jono's luggage.  
  
"How long you been playing the guitar?"  
  
*Since I was twelve and it was tis very guitar, wouldn't 'ave any other,* Jono answered looking over the sticker covered case as a young mother might her infant.  
  
"Were you ever in a band?" Logan asked, noticing how the boy seemed to be opening a little.  
  
*Yep, spent most of my teen years playin' in clubs. We even 'ad a tape to 'and out..* he trailed off, recalling once again how he had let down his band mates. How he had set the band back that they had dedicated their youth to. How he could never feel the thrill of being onstage ever again. With the realization thrown up in his face again he turned quickly from Logan saying, *Well, come on, like to be 'ome before sunset.*  
  
*Logan, I trust you had no problem with gathering young Mr. Starsmore?* Came the voice of Charles Xavier into The Wolverine's head as he sped down the bridge into downtown Bayville.  
  
*Yeah, I found him Chuck,* Logan replied glancing at the boy who sat besides him looking out the window half-interestedly. *We'll probably be home within twenty minutes.*  
  
*Excellent, I shall summon the other students to form a welcoming party.* Xavier told Logan.  
  
*Right Chuck,* the telepath left his mind, leaving Logan to his own thoughts. He looked sideways at Jono again and thought, 'I hope the kid lightens up soon, otherwise things ain't going to be easy for him.'  
  
All right people there's the first chapter and the equation is:  
  
Reviews=fast writing & a happy me.^^ 


	2. The Nutter House

Author's note: Thanks so much to be my first four reviewers. *Gives them all a big hug* Personal shout outs below.  
  
In addition, I have decided to put this fic post Ascension so the current team is the one set for season five. Which includes Piotr, Gambit, X-23 (don't know her real name yet), and Spyke (but I don't think I'll include him at all besides maybe a cameo since I've never really cared for him..)  
  
Oh! Oh! The disclaimer (I always forget these things): Chamber and all other characters appearing in this story are the brainchild and property of Marvel. Except the reporter and the bigot that will appear in this chapter.  
  
Remember: * = telepathy  
  
^=^Chapter Two: The Nutter House^=^  
  
"Along with the mutant registration act, Mr. Robinson, what other policies does the Friends of Humanity support?" queried Mary Ichio, the pretty, young Asian reporter of the Bayville talk show "The People of Bayville." Her subject was a man in his mid-forties, a gray streak blending into his otherwise full head of black hair, dressed smartly in a business suit.  
  
"Well, the Friends of Humanity supports any policy that staggers the mutant threat." The man called Robinson answered, folding his hands in his lap and crossing his legs. Perhaps the gesture would have seemed feminine if preformed by any other man, but Robinson managed to make it both condescending and intelligent at the same time.  
  
"Would you like to perhaps expend on that?" the woman prodded the head of the local chapter of the F.O.H.  
  
"Certainly, the F.O.H. is an organization that is dedicated to protecting normal humans against both mutant aggression and possibly harmful mutant agendas. I am well aware that they are some that consider me and my fellows extremists-"Robinson explained making sure to tackle the question that Ichio was obviously opening her mouth to ask, making sure he wasn't interrupted. "For as I am sure you observed several times yourself Mrs. Ichio being a reporter and such," he continued.  
  
"The peril that Bayville places upon itself by allowing mutants to remain here; explosions, car crashes, collateral damage, it just boggles the mind how no one has been killed yet! All for a few liberals up in the white house that believe by allowing them equal rights the problem will just go away! However...."  
  
"All right Kitty, change the channel I've really heard enough of that bigot." Scott requested from where he sat at a table playing "Go Fish" with Kurt. It was a typical Wednesday night, because school was the next day most of the students opted to spend the evening at home, however each with their own various activities. Those gathered in the rec room were Kitty who was sitting on the couch before the t.v. now changing the channel to "Gilmore Girls". Jean was sitting on the adjacent couch, causally flipping through a Seventeen magazine, Piotr sitting next to her putting the final additions on a sketch he had spent the better part of the day on. Along with the aforementioned Scott and Kurt who were sitting towards the back of the room.  
  
"Well if you think about it Scott, the guy like, kinda has a point. You gotta admit that when we battle stuff like gets broken." Kitty pointed out as she glanced away from the show's opening theme song to look at her leader.  
  
"Yes, but that's because if we didn't stop the bad guys there be a lot more than collateral damage. Really just a few weeks ago we saved the entire world from Apocalypse and this is how they thank us!" Scott replied in a measured voice, a little snippy because he could be seconds away from yet another lost to Kurt.  
  
'Yeah, but Apocalypse is like a mutant too." Kitty pointed out to Scott only answered with an exasperated grunt.  
  
"Got any threes?" Kurt asked in an almost coy voice, knowing victory was only a breath away. With a disgusted grunt, Scott handed over the cards that the German needed. Which immediately set off the blue furred boy into a small victory dance around his chair, rejoicing, "And round two goes to de Fuzzy Man, yeah! Up for a third?" he challenged Scott holding his odd fingers splayed.  
  
Before Scott could answer, however the sound of the door being opened caused him to look away from his friend. Jono walked in with his usual non- chalantness, until he noticed a few people had looked up when he had walked in.  
  
*'Lo.* he greeted raising a skeptical eyebrow (one of the few facial expressions he could still mange) while thinking 'can't walk into a goddamned bloody room without being stared out can I?' before their gazes had fallen back to their current activities. However, he still did feel the need to give an explanation to his presence anyway, seeing as how he had not exactly sought out their company over these last two weeks. *No tellie in that basement.*  
  
Despite what Jono might have though, his physical appearance had little to do with their wariness. No, it was more from both an incident that happened a few weeks ago when Kurt had suddenly bampfed! into Jono's room uninvited (nearly scaring the wits out of Jono as he did) announcing dinner was ready. Jono had responded less than favorably to the intrusion.  
  
*Wot kind of bloody insensitive question is that?! "Aven't you noticed that I 'aven't got a mouth ?! An' you ever heard of knocking?!* Jono had demanded of Kurt his energy flaring up around the black scarf he had fashioned for himself in replacement of the bandages; framing him in a hellish aura that was enough to make Kurt stammer an apology before teleporting out of the room the next second. It was quite clear now that Jono's room was his sanctuary and was not to be entered unless asked. Along with how he wasn't really opening up to the other students, and the fact that he had chosen to change that basement old storage room into his bedroom rather than live in the normal dorms only seemed to cement the want to isolate himself. Most had told themselves either he was having a hard time adjusting and would come around eventually, or that if he wanted to be left alone to just leave the guy alone.  
  
However, Kitty was still willing to make an effort, having grown pass her immaturity after all this time with the x-men of being afraid of physical mutations. "Hey Jono, like this episode is a rerun, so is there anything you'd like to watch?"  
  
Jono looked a bit surprised that they were still trying that forced niceness on him. However since he had come up here for television and didn't want to get stuck watching some chick show he accepted the offer.*All right,* he answered her taking the remote and clicking a few times before turning on M t.v. and taking a seat on the couch himself.  
  
"So you like have M t.v. in England?" Kitty asked seeing as how everyone else was distracted she turned to the British goth next to her for company.  
  
*O' course luv, we probably get as many American channels as you do British- *he was cutoff by the sound of the door slamming open followed by stomping feet.  
  
"Ah don't want to talk about it anymore Remy!" Rogue snapped behind her as she entered the room pushing her platinum bangs out of her face with an exasperated air as she, much to Jono's displeasure, sat on the couch where he and Shadowcat already sat. Crossing her arms and staring forward at Carson with a scowl.  
  
"Oh no you don't mon petit! Not this time! You always block Remy out w'enever we need to talk and 'e is sick and tired of it!" Gambit countered as he walked in after her, placing his hands on the couch so that he could lean over her. No doubt hoping to make himself more imposing than he already was with his flashing demon eyes. A tactic of course that hardly worked on someone like Rogue.  
  
"There's noting to talk about Remy!" Rogue all but screamed back in his face.  
  
"Rogue, Remy please, this is hardly a place to be having an argument," Jean told them, while of course wondering what had just happened between Rogue and her handsome Cajun.  
  
"No one asked you Jean! And we are NOT having an argument!" Rogue snapped back rising back up to her feet to get out from underneath Remy. Of course Kurt then teleported next to the two to put his two cents in.  
  
"Sister please, Jean is right, this is no place for an argument if you and Gambit would like I could perhaps help you settle this feud..."  
  
"Non argument! The fille just won't talk!" Remy countered pointed at Rogue.  
  
"There's nothing to talk about!" Rogue snapped again, her hope of the Cajun backing off by her walking into a public far gone and now she was left to only defending herself from about three people now. It was then Jono decided he had heard enough and the rest of the night was going to be spent counseling the couple, forcing him to return to his lair once again. That is until he stepped out into the hall, shutting the door and voices out behind him, when he was then nearly stampeded by Bobby, Sam, and Jamie (and about five copies of himself) as they ran past holding a red strip of fabric.  
  
*Can I ask what you people are doin'?*  
  
"Oh, we're playing this game that Sam thought up this one day." Bobby answered. "Y'see we divide ourselves into two teams and this cloth," he held up the treasured old rag," is placed between us and whoever gets it starts off with us and the other team tries to get it back."  
  
*Uh huh, and you play this throughout the mansion?* Jono asked.  
  
"Yep," Bobby answered.  
  
*Because you don't have anything else to do?*Jono asked crossing his arms.  
  
Bobby shrugged,"Pretty much."  
  
*I see.* Jono replied turning away from the Iceman while shaking his head thinking' Nutters, every last one of 'em. Either jumping at each other's throats or playing childish games because of lack of amusement. 'He paused as he realized something. 'I'm going to end up just like them if I don't get out of this place.' He was horrified at the thought. Enough so that he did indeed return to his room, but only to grab his leather jacket and some money, determined not to have any terrible happen as he explored Bayville for the first time.  
  
^=^=^=^=^=^=^The equation still is: Reviews= fast writing and a happy me.^^  
  
Snitter in Rivendell: I'm glad to see someone besides Jono fans is reading this. And I'm glad I still managed to interest you with an unfamiliar character to you; it says something for my characterization skills.^^  
  
Rahneman: He most certainly does and I hope I'm doing at least a passable job with the accent since I've never heard a London accent, I'm only going on how I've seen other people write it. Also I dunno about Paige, I'm not sure if I would write her well, I've never found her to be as interesting as Jono and thus haven't ever paid attention to her characterization. As for Rogue...Romy rules in my world even if they were having a tense moment....but all relationships have their ups and downs.  
  
I'm a Super Mute Ant: Agreed! Go Jono!!!!!!!  
  
Ms. Frost: I updated...am I forgiven? Makes big puppy dog eyes.  
  
Now like the good little inferior being er, reader you are, please press the blue button below and tell me what you think. There you go!^^ 


	3. The Scarlet Witch

Author's note (because I *love* to hear me talk.): Originally these next two chapters were suppose to be one, then I got up at four a.m. this morning and threw up all of last night's dinner so I'm not really up to making long chapters right now. Nevertheless, things should get rolling after this, and this also gives me a chance to set Wanda's character for the story.  
  
^=^ The Scarlet Witch^=^  
  
Wanda Maximoff looked at the face of her father, Erik Lensherr formed from hundreds of tiny black splotches on a newspaper page. The issue was current, even if it was now evening and weeks afterwards, however something like that just does not exactly go away very quickly. Even though it had now been reduced to a single paragraph follow up on page eight of the front section, yet it still warranted a picture of the enigmatic Master of Magnetism and Wanda was drawn to it.  
  
As she laid it before her and leaned on the creaky old table in the middle of the filthy kitchen, she wondered about him. About how nice it had been after the fight when he had actually hugged her and Pietro and had thanked them for helping him. Yes, her father had always been good to her hadn't he? Even though she had the capability to sink California into the Pacific Ocean if she wanted to, he had always done his best to bond with her. Taking her and Pietro to the park, on picnics, seeing the Fourth of July fireworks, yes, things had always been good haven't they? Magneto had always done his best to fill the gaping void Wanda felt for some reason. Like something was missing from her, she supposed it was because either her mother had died or took off when she was still quite small, after all isn't something like that suppose to be traumatic? Magneto had never told her anything about her mother, but she supposed that was because it must be painful for him to talk about.  
  
When she had found out before he had supposedly perished when battling Apocalypse for the first time, it had been a stunning blow for her. She hadn't cried, Wanda wasn't sure if she knew how to anymore, but she had still hurt, and her fellow Brotherhood members had gotten the worst of it. She had been on a trigger those few weeks, even derailing a subway car that had had near disastrous results because Pietro had brought it up. That's why she had jumped at the chance to see her father again when Kitty had come requesting help to bring down Apocalypse. She also remembered the disgust she had felt when the others had refused to help and she had to go alone. Nevertheless, they had still come to help her, she could hardly say she knew why other than they weren't the ignorant slobs she had thought before, and perhaps Magneto saw them in a different way now too. That's why it puzzled her slightly why he had yet to contact them these few weeks after the incident. Then again, as Pyro had told them the other two acolytes had taken off, maybe he was forming another team? Did he still think The Brotherhood unready to become his soldiers?  
  
"'Ello Sheila, what 'cha got there?" asked an accented voice from above her belonging to a strawberry blonde nineteen year old Australian who seemed to have a penchant for working her nerves, he then suddenly hands grabbed the paper from the table and up for inspection. "Oh, about your daddy eh?"  
  
Pyro glanced over the rim of the paper at the girl who sat before him. With her tight red belly shirt, vinyl pants, dark make-up and thousands of bracelets, cropped hair, she was very different from what anyone would call a normal girl, not that she was exactly. "I'd never thought you be much a daddy's girl," Pyro informed her with a mocking grin as if he got a kick out of being hex bolted, which was just what happened to him, right into the sink.  
  
"Y'know that wasn't very nice Sheila!" John informed her, glaring though knowing better than to dig his Zippo lighter from out of his pocket. He had already tried that only to find The Scarlet Witch could turn the flame against him. He had almost soiled his pants when his own creation of a tiger made of flames had come bounding back after him though it had intrigued him at the same time. As he regained his stance after being thrown, he looked back over at Wanda who had just gone back to ignoring him, turning to another page of the newspaper. John wasn't exactly happy about it, he liked when things were exciting and dangerous, and Wanda when she used her strange powers was both. She really was his main source of amusement since this group wasn't exactly delving into the dangerous missions Magneto had demanded of him before.  
  
So now came the task of prodding the bull without being gored but still getting it to charge. He did it less than tactfully, he simply shouted, "Hey, Scarlet bitch!" to get her to look up and let out a baseball sized fireball at her.  
  
The result was Wanda holding her right hand out and surrounding the offending ball with a hex sphere. It now changed its path from her, right towards John, much to his delight since the thing came very close to burning the right side of his head before he managed to duck it before it continued into the living room, setting the curtains on fire. Forcing both Todd and Freddy to stop watching the Simpsons and put it out. He began his whooping laugh as Wanda stood up; realizing that she had once again done just what he wanted her to do much to her chagrin. She strode up to him where he lay on the floor and snarled at him"You're insane!"  
  
"Be careful who you be calling insane Sheila, Magneto had to do a lot of work on your head to get you were you are today!" John informed her standing up as Todd walked into the room, her face somehow becoming even paler when he heard the mad Australian's words.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Wanda demanded, wondering if he was delusional along with being just plain crazy. However before John could let the cat out of the bag Todd leapt onto his shoulders and clamped his hand over his mouth figuring if that he didn't keep him quiet they were going to have to deal with something much worst then a fire, much to John's obvious disgust.  
  
"Don't listen to him cuddle bumps, he's insane in the old membrane you know." Todd told her, showing Wanda his glowing yellows, much to _her_ disgust.  
  
"Toad! Come and help me! The curtains are still on fire!" Freddy shouted as he moved surprisingly fast past them with a full bucket from beneath the sink in his hands. Todd did as his friend requested of him leaping off the pyromaniac. As John gagged from the lingering smell, Wanda came to a decision.  
  
"You help too," she told him, letting another hex bolt loose on him so he was thrown into the living room. Then after a few more seconds of watching, the boys run frantically back and forth, with Lance and Pietro arriving to help when the smoke smell floated up into the bedrooms Wanda slipped out the front door quietly herself. She needed to think, and did not care to be followed.  
  
=^=^=^=^=^=^==^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^  
  
*I hope everyone was in character......  
  
*Gives her three newest reviewers Evanescence Kicks ass, ishandahalf, and Risty a big hug.*  
  
Snitter; The generation X team has officially disbanded *tear* but after going MIA for a while Jono has supposedly returned to join the x-men. So I guess he's now apart of the "Uncanny x-men " comic series even though I'll admit I've fallen behind on it. However there are several stores on line that sell Generation X comics and others such as "Poptopia" that feature Jono in them.  
  
Rahneman: Thanks for the lingo, I'll try to in cooperate them next chapter.  
  
Risty: I was thinking of giving him a friendly relationship with Jubilee if she has indeed returned to the team as of yet because she is the only Generation Xer that is apart of (or was) of the current team. 


	4. A Meeting and Traitors in the dark

Author's note: Sorry this update took so long but things tend to speed up around the holidays for me. What with the shopping, decorating, and the fact that the teachers like to assign projects at this time of year, but as a result this chapter is nice and long.^^ I hope all of my old reviewers come back, because even I tend to lose interest in a story if it isn't updated in a long time. Nevertheless, I have a short attention span....  
  
^=^ A meeting and traitors in the dark^=^  
  
Jono soon realized something after he had been gone from the Institute (or Nutter house as he now thought of it) for about fifteen minutes, he hadn't a clue where anything was in the New England town. Certainly, he had been given an obligatory tour within his first days here from the back of that red corvette+ with Xavier's two "pets" (as he thought of Scott and Jean) giving a commentary. That he had regretfully only half listened to. Along with the fact that the streets looked quite different now bathed in soft yellow lights from the streetlights overhead with only a distant quarter moon and a few stars to fill the midnight blue sky. It was a stark contrast to the mild light of the day in which it seemed one could see everything, though the cold wind that occasionally blew was the same.  
  
The wide deserted avenues of the residential area he was walking through disconcerted him a bit. In London, it was a rare thing to see any street so quiet. Even at this time of night, his old neighborhood would have still warranted the occasional passer by with cars still roaring past to add their notes to the metallic music of the city night. However, out here it was so quiet one could hear every cricket rub its legs; one could tell where a barking dog was exactly located, above the soft rustling of trees. Naturally, most families had retreated inside to their warm sanctuaries in light of the rather nippy night. Throwing the occasional square of stifled light through curtains and blinds.  
  
As he attempted to recall his memory of the tour, he thought of something else. _Why_ had he come out here? He knew the initial reason was that he didn't want to become so pathetic that he had to play a game with a rag to be entertained. So was he heading down town towards a club then? Like where he had spent many nights before either as an entertainer or solicitor. Like most "cool" kids did? At a place like the one where he had met Gayle at? Whom was he fooling; he wasn't that type of person anymore. He was a freak with no mouth. Really, what would he do at one? Listen to other musicians work towards a dream he had been forced to abandon? Flirt with a cute girl never mind the fact he couldn't even smile anymore. Much less even make conversation; no doubt, telepathy would raise a few eyebrows and probably a few wrong fists. He couldn't even be comforted by alcohol anymore either.  
  
So, what then? Wander about aimlessly? Be left to his own troubling thoughts?  
  
No, he did this enough at home. He wanted an escape, to be entertained and since alcohol and drugs were, only for the normals now it was up to him to find something else. So he continued towards the direction he was certain was towards downtown where he hoped was the part of town that the Pets had shown him to be full of places of amusement. When he found that he recognized a restaurant as the houses shifted into businesses, he was encouraged. Yes, this was the right way now to find something to sate his boredom.  
  
^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^  
  
Wanda had found herself in a very odd place at the end of her own wandering, outside the old movie theater gazing at the various posters. Her black and red attire clashing with the white washed wall as she moved up and down the miniature gallery of secular artwork. She ran her arms up and down her barren arms feeling the goose bumps beneath her sensitive fingers. She shivered, feeling her nipples harden beneath her shirt, slight to her embarrassment even though her arms were now crossed over her small breasts in an attempt to keep warm. Oh yes, it had not been a good idea to walk out into a cold Massachusetts night with no coat.  
  
So now, the overhead sign of shifting multihued lights now served as a beacon rather than a passing glance. Deciding that she rather treat herself to a movie over returning home to a house that hopefully still had its living room and full of noisy boys. After all other people went to the movies so could she. The movie theater wasn't that crowded since it was a weekday night and she couldn't even remember the last time she had gone to one. She looked at the movie posters for once with interest, mostly portraits of either dramatic expressions or smiling faces with some appropriate background. A few of course were just vague designs that tried to use mystery to draw people in. As she ran her hands up and down her arms Wanda tried to decide what looked the best along with any commercials she had happened to see. Seeing as how The Scarlet Witch rarely had enough want to actually read anything about popular culture in a newspaper or magazine.  
  
^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^  
  
"You said you sensed a mutant here, _were_ is it?!" The sinister low voice hissed violently the pale morlock's ear, within the safety of a dirty alley between a business and apartment building across the street. The familiar stagnant scent of rotting food to Caliban managed to hang in the air despite the temperature from the dumpster he was leaning against. An intense argument between lovers floated down to the ears of the five present.  
  
Caliban kept his usual stoic expression upon his drawn features, but inside his heart beat a little faster. He did not care much for up-worlders, but they were still mutants, his own kind. Unconsciously he ran his long hand down the front of the black trench coat he'd been forced to wear over his usual rough, red tunic and leggings, oddly akin to a medieval serf's. He absolutely hated the bowler hat that sat awkwardly atop his head; it was hot even in this cold and itched against his baldhead. Frankly, he no longer looked creepy in an oddly refined way, but quite ridiculous.  
  
The dark haired man behind him, who while being rather lanky still held enough of a vicious expression over his sharp features to make a bull think twice about charging, growled lowly that reminded Caliban greatly of a feral cat. Suddenly, the hated black collar on Caliban's neck jerked inwards, crushing his trachea suddenly, forced a sudden upraise of air out through Caliban's throat and mouth that ended in a high cry of pain. Before he could fall to his knees and draw even more attention to himself from the passer-bys, and worse, the still unknown mutant across the street, the man filched his finger across the control once more. Releasing the collar and allowing Caliban to gasp with breath once more.  
  
"Do not fuck with me; we still have those little freaks you were found with. Would you like to see them strangle to death as well? Wouldn't that be nice? Watch their little veins pop out, their faces turning blue, except for the lizard one. But wouldn't be interesting to see what color green flesh turns when its oxygen deprived?" The man demanded in the same low voice, the hurtful, manipulative voice.  
  
Caliban rolled his eyes up at his companions, the three humans and the other mutant. A strange looking girl most would call ugly with her sharp features over emphasized by a masculine shaved haircut with her midnight hair, her cream colored flesh tattooed with what looked like open scratches, like she had gone running naked through a rose patch. Her short, stout frame covered in the same foolish outfit as him that did not help her looks one bit. Her perfectly dark gray eyes quickly darted away from his white ones, even though for one second she had seen a fiery disgust in them. However he was still wary of her, even though she had a collar around her neck as well, of all of them she seemed to cooperate the most with this imprisonment.  
  
Caliban dropped his composure long enough to glare at the maniac leader, and the two cronies. Two men, one short and thin, one tall and huge, that seemed to be lacking in the intelligence department but weren't as cutting with their remarks, their remarks were more general. It made Caliban wonder if perhaps they had been hired for this operation. That humans could be so greedy as to accept work as cruel bullies or even killers.  
  
However he did take the threat about his fellow morlocks seriously, determined to keep them alive and keep the whereabouts of the other three secret. He knew they did hold their lives in their hands. "Yes," he answered in his slow voice. "She is across the street, she is known as The Scarlet Witch, I have met this one before and she is of great power. In fact, I have heard she is even the daughter of the great Magneto."  
  
"Magneto's daughter?" The leader whispered in an excited voice. 'What a prize she will be, the daughter of the leading mutant terrorist. Oh, the boss will surely give me a place on the council for this capture,' he though delightedly to himself.  
  
The girl and Caliban could both see the gears working in the man's head seemingly forgetting the "of great power" part. Caliban's face might have been expressionless now, but inside he was smirking, he didn't bother to mention the reason Wanda had originally contacted him was to find her father for not so friendly purposes. The girl grabbed the collar of her trench coat as she looked over warily to the girl pacing up and down the front of the theater.  
  
Caliban then let out a small sound, which was neither a gasp nor a moan, he felt another approaching. He panicked slightly as the man's eyes sparked in recognition of the sound meaning that another "mutie" was approaching. He had hoped the Scarlet Witch's powers would be enough to make them stop this mutant hunt when they confronted her, but this other, while powerful, in fact, he seemed to have it rolling off of him, could not possibly have the grab bag of attacks the original target did.  
  
"Another mutant?" The man asked, pulling the control, akin in look to a remote control of a t.v., out threateningly.  
  
Caliban nodded simply, nothing more was necessary, not caring to have his throat squeezed again, or any more horrible images leaking into his physce.  
  
^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^  
  
Jono had made his way over to the theater himself; however, he was planning to pass it. One had to talk in order to get in, and his telepathy simultaneously scared many people, and put a bull's eye on his back for mutant haters. No the last thing he needed was the cashier freaking out and having a mob chasing him. However he then saw a short, black haired girl shivering as she looked at a poster. Jono was hardly an empath in anyway, but this girl had definite aura about her. Something that screamed instability and something else, something Jono couldn't put his finger on, something that would make most people wary. She looked both out of place with an outfit Jono silently named a "gothic groupie" alone, outside, and not at a concert with other groupies. She interested him as well, there had to be a story why she was standing out here dressed like that, without even a coat.  
  
She then seemed to notice him and Jono realized he must have been staring because the look she gave him would have stopped an attacking lion in his tracks. In fact it shocked Jono so much that she seemed to grow about a foot in height with _that_ expression on her face that he looked away and unconsciously uttered a *Sorry.*  
  
Wanda's eyes widened a bit and so did Jono's when he realized what he had just done. However, to his relief she didn't scream, and only looked surprised and after a few more seconds said "An X-geek," like a realization.  
  
*Excuse me?*Jono asked, his eyebrows raising a bit, he did not like the term "geek" being attributed to him one bit, but someone making that play on the word "x-man" mostly just surprised him. So much in fact, he didn't take into consideration he was still speaking to her telepathically.  
  
Wanda blinked at him, realizing she had just used the word the boys always used for the x-men in her own shock of randomly meeting another mutant on the street. He was very impressive as well, tall, with wild brown hair that brought out his intense eyes, with black clothing and a leather jacket that seemed to punctuate it. She wondered about the scarf that to her gave him the look of an old-fashioned train robber; his use of telepathy confirmed her suspicion that something must have been wrong with his mouth.  
  
"X-man," she corrected herself, angry that she had stumbled like that. "One of Xavier's, unless of course maybe you're one of Magneto's men?" she asked, letting it hang in the air, hoping maybe this was the word of her father she'd been waiting for.  
  
Jono lowered his eyebrows and shifted on his feet, this girl most definitely had to be a mutant, knowing all of that. She obviously wasn't one of those from the mansion as well, was she one of The Brotherhood he had heard of? *X-man I suppose, but I've only been 'ere a few weeks. They don't let me do much.*  
  
Wanda was a little disappointed, her shoulders slackened, and Jono noticed it. He didn't want to let her go quite yet, he hadn't had a chance to talk to any other mutants yet even if he wasn't sure, fraternizing was allowed. Also for some reason he did not like the thought of leaving Wanda all alone on the street, cold.  
  
*Are ye one of The Brotherhood?* he asked her bluntly, taking his jacket off.  
  
"Yes," she answered him just as bluntly, not wanting to delve too much into it with an x-man.  
  
*'Ere,* He told her offering her the jacket and she looked at it like was potentially full of itching powder. Jono sighed a bit mentally, his chest even rising a bit even though no sound could be made. *It's distracting to talk to ye when yer shivering likes that.* He informed her.  
  
Wanda looked at him again, and slowly took the jacket and slipped it on. Still doubtful as to why he was being so nice to her she reminded him,"Now you'll be cold."  
  
Jono shrugged, *Don't really get cold anymore, now that I'm a living furnace. Anyway, I'm wearing more clothes than ye.*  
  
Wanda looked away briefly at that comment, as if it made her uncomfortable for a man to show that he had noticed her somewhat...revealing outfit. "What's your name?" she asked randomly looking to change the subject.  
  
*Jonathan Starsmore, but call me Jono.* He told her, *and yours?*  
  
*Wanda Maximoff, but some call me The Scarlet Witch," she told him with a rare, small, wry, smile.  
  
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"Now the two are together." Bleed, Caliban's fellow mutant betrayer commented more to herself than anyone else, but her lead captor heard it.  
  
He snorted arrogantly, "No big deal, we just have to get them into an alley, and we'll have them." He assured himself.  
  
Bleed didn't favor Caliban with a glance, keeping her emotions to herself before she attempted to surrender two more to this hell. However, Caliban was hoping inside this would soon fall in on itself.  
  
%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*  
  
*Yes, Bleed is an OC, but she is as ugly as sin, faulted, and is a plot element. So don't freak okay?  
  
JLee-Always glad to have a new reader.^^  
  
Snitter-I didn't know Pyro was immune to fire....if I had I would had it hit him to freak out Wanda even more.^^ Oh well....  
  
Risty-Glad to see I'm keeping everyone in IC, I really try to, it's okay sometimes for them to be OC, but mostly it's more fun if they're themselves.  
  
Ishandahalf-Read your fic, it's great!^^  
  
Evanesence-Don't worry, Jono will lighten up....eventually.  
  
Same formula: Reviews=Fast typing+ a happy me.^^ 


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